While we may all experience the world differently, practice different traditions, identify with a particular group of people, we also share in common a desire for meaning. We want our lives to make a difference. We want something to be different about the world for our having been in it. Whether our goals are as simple as helping a person smile, making a lonely day a little brighter for someone living alone, helping a child realize that squiggles on a piece of paper have meaning, giving someone a bowl of soup or a place to stay. With each action we take that considers the well-being of another we change the world. We find purpose. Whether we are young or old, we still long for  purpose and meaning in our lives.

I remember talking with a long-term volunteer at CEM while she was in the hospital shortly before she died. She had worked with kids teaching the crafts and games. She had worked in the soup kitchen, serving up food and raising money. She had led the seniors on trips and is games and activities for many years. By the time we had this conversation she had already lived and long and full life. And she asked the question, “Why am I still here?” Her search for meaning continued even as she faced her imminent death.  I was struck in that moment that once we start looking for meaning and purpose in life, it becomes a lifelong journey. This great friend of CEM is a shining example of what happens when a person becomes connected to a community beyond the self. I hope that when I am facing death, that I too will embrace the questions of life and meaning with such curiosity and grace. May we all join the journey of life with such enthusiasm and vigor!